Thunder & Roses
by AlvinFan07
Summary: Miley's given up hope on ever finding love after a recent break-up. Then she meets Lilly Truscott & everything changes; whether she wants them to or not. LILEY! Miley & Lilly
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone... Yes, I am still around. These past few months have been really crazy. It was a really busy semester of school work and I ran into personal problems; which this story will sort of explain.**

**This story is based on what has happened to me recently. The first chapter is basically true to my life (except come minor details). I will be updating Here Without You, Miley as soon as I can, too. I've been working on that as well. I just needed to vent and this story came out, and I really like it. Hopefully all of you will, too. **

- One -

Dark clouds rolled in through the Tennessee sky as Miley Stewart slowly trotted down the old, familiar trail she's ridden through many times before with her horse, Bluejeans. Rain was near but she didn't mind. Not right now at least. In fact, she wanted it to rain. Rain would hide the tears that she's been fighting back. Rain would give her something else to think about. Anything would be better than what was going through her mind right now. Pure agony…

Thunder sounded and Bluejeans jerked, causing Miley to feel cautious. "It's okay, buddy," she soothed, slowly running her right hand over his mane. "We'll be okay…"

But could she really believe that? Would everything be okay? She wasn't so sure.

With a sigh, she lightly tapped the heel of her boots against Bluejeans' sides, getting him to keep moving forward. They were almost at her secluded spot and she was anxious to get there. It was a beautiful area, really; up on a hilltop, lots of grass for Bluejeans to graze, and a large Oak tree where Miley absolutely loved to lean against. Not too long ago she nailed boards to the tree as a source to climb it easily. Most of the time, she sat up high in the branches and just sat there for hours thinking. It was the most peaceful place she could ever dream of.

Bluejeans trudged up the hill effortlessly after they turned into a clearing. A ghost of a smile shone on Miley's face when she saw her tree at the top. "Come on, boy, hurry up. We're almost there," she spoke to Bluejeans.

In no time at all, they made it up the hill and Miley was quick to descend from her beloved horse. Taking the reigns, she led him over to the tree and carefully tied him up to one of the branches. This was a perfect spot for Bluejeans, for there was plenty of grass around him to graze. Satisfied that he was happy, Miley began climbing her tree.

Miley's view was magnificent from where she stopped. Although, she has seen better… Normally, by now, the sun was low and cast a beautiful glow across the fields of her family farm. Today was dark, gloomy, and a tad chilly. With a sigh, Miley leaned back against the tree to look at her surroundings; trying to get her mind off of her heartache.

Nothing seemed to help ease her mind from the events that occurred to her somewhat recently. Tears brimmed her grey-blue eyes as she thought of her now ex-girlfriend, Mikayla, whom she met this past semester at school. The one girl she thought she could finally be happy with. Unfortunately, the feeling was not mutual. Mikayla wanted…an open relationship… Miley's heart broke when Mikayla first brought it up but she kept her head up. Miley hoped with everything in her that Mikayla would change her mind. But that never happened… Mikayla lead her on, slept with her even, before ending it a little more than a month into the relationship. Thinking about it now even brought tears to Miley's eyes, and it had been nearly two months since the breakup. When you really like someone, though, it's hard to move on so quickly… Unlike Mikayla, who moved on _too _quickly.

Miley's best friends Travis, Jake and Oliver told her Mikayla was bad news from the beginning, but she was too awe-struck to care then. Now she wished more than anything that she had listened to them. You live and learn…

Thunder caught Miley's attention as she wiped away a stray tear. She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. Mikayla wasn't worth her tears…. At least that's what her friends constantly told her. She didn't know why, but Miley still felt something for Mikayla. She was her first girlfriend, the first girl she kissed, the first girl she….well…slept with. It was hard to deal with, especially when Mikayla acted like she didn't give a damn about anything that happened between them.

Love? Miley thought of this often. Was it love she felt for Mikayla? She didn't necessarily think so… Miley had definitely been in love before and those feelings were never that intense with Mikayla. Miley had fallen in love with her long time best friend, Chelsea, in high school. That seemed like a lifetime ago, but the feelings for her still stood strong. Her love for Chelsea nearly destroyed their friendship and lately they only talked every once in a while. Miley grew used to this, but it still stung that she never got to see her anymore. Perhaps it was for the best, though. Seeing Chelsea with her long-term boyfriend now might kill her. She's met him a few times… He was nice. I guess that's all Miley could really ask for.

For so long Miley thought she would never be able to move on and date. But when she met Mikayla all that changed. Mikayla made her happy, made her feel special, made her feel _alive_. So much for that…

Bluejeans suddenly snapped his head up in alarm as thunder grew louder. Miley glanced down at his movements. "It's okay, boy. It's just the thunder," she said reassuringly. Just as she said that, lightning flickered in the distance. Without any other reason, Miley started climbing down from her tree. The last thing she needed right now was to be struck by lightning. "All right, boy. Guess we'd better start heading home," she said as she approached Bluejeans. "Wouldn't want to get rained on now, would we?" She smiled as he nuzzled her shoulder with his mouth. After wiping off her tears once again with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, Miley hopped onto Bluejeans to head home. Glancing at her watch, she realized she was only up there for about forty-five minutes. It seemed way less than that, but time always flew by when she gave thought to Mikayla.

Light drizzle of rain started coming down and Miley lightly tapped on Bluejeans' sides once again. "Hurry up, boy!" she encouraged. With no further instructions, he started galloping faster as the rain started coming down harder.

…..

Robbie Ray Stewart glanced out the window of their gorgeous two story white house right as his daughter came racing towards the barn with Bluejeans. Shaking his head, he turned to his wife, who was sitting comfortably on the couch reading a magazine. "Miles is going to be soaking wet by the time she gets in here."

"Well, she wanted to take a shower tonight anyways," Susan joked, smirking.

"She still shouldn't go out so far when she knows a storm is comin'."

"Oh, Robbie Ray, stop worrying so much." Standing up, Susan walked over to her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist. "She does what she sets her mind to. A little rain never hurt anybody."

"I know… It just seems like her mind's been so…. I don't know… Pre-occupied lately, but she won't tell us what's going on."

"She will when she's ready. She's twenty-one now, Robbie. Let her have her own space. If something really is troubling her, she'll come to us when she's ready. Just like she always does."

"I suppose you're right… Well, here she comes. Must have gotten Bluejeans in all right."

"He's a very cooperative horse." Kissing Robbie Ray on the cheek, Susan returned to her place onto the sofa, followed by Robbie.

Seconds later Miley came rushing in through the door, soaked with rain. "Sorry, I didn't know it was going to rain so suddenly," she started explaining to her parents while taking her boots off.

"No worries, baby girl," her mother answered with a warm smile. "Why don't you go on up and take a nice hot shower before you get chilled. We don't need you to get sick."

"I will, Mamma." Miley walked over to give her mom a quick hug and a kiss and then moved over to her father to do the same.

"Supper should be ready when you're done," Robbie added as he hugged Miley.

"Sounds good… I won't be long." With a half-hearted smile, Miley then descended up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Robbie sighed once Miley was out of sight. "….Do you think she's ever going to tell us what's been bothering her?"

"Like I said before, dear… She will when she's ready." Susan stood up, knowing she had to finish preparing supper. "Give the girl some space and she'll come through."

Nodding, Robbie followed his wife into the kitchen. She seemed so sure of this, but he wasn't convinced. Then again, he didn't want to pry into his daughter's life. It was hard for him to figure out what to do. Times like this he felt so…helpless.

Shaking his head, Robbie turned his focus over towards the food. He was hungry after all…

Upstairs, Miley had shed her wet clothing and promptly made her way into her bathroom. With her brother, Jackson, off at college she had the whole thing to herself now. Even though they used to bicker all the time, she did miss having him around. Especially since the whole Mikayla fiasco. Jackson could be a dork, but he was an amazing listener when she really needed one.

Once the water was at the perfect temperature, Miley hopped in and sighed contently at the feeling of warmth spreading throughout her body. Mikayla was constantly on her mind and, sure enough, she was sick of it. But what could she do? It wasn't her fault she started gaining feelings for the gorgeous brunette. If only she had listened to her friends…

Tears slipped from her eyes and Miley pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes tightly shut, trying to stop them. Hadn't she been suffering long enough? When would this end? Would it ever end? Her mind constantly ran through these questions on a daily basis until it became so unbearable that she nearly suffocated from the anxiety of it all. Luckily it was summer vacation and she wouldn't have to start classes again until August. This gave her some time away from Mikayla, and Miley knew she needed that desperately.

One thing that Miley feared was that once the new semester began, and she saw Mikayla, that all of her feelings would come rushing back.

"God, please…. Please let this get easier…." she silently prayed with a broken voice. "Please…"

Feeling overwhelmed, Miley slowly sank down until she sat on the floor of the tub; water rushing over her. She brought her knees up to her bare chest with tear-rimmed eyes and kept hoping that something or someone would come along and take all of this agony away from her. She knew she deserved better but at the same time…she didn't think better would ever come along in her life.

* * *

**And there it is... Hopefully you all will enjoy this story. Like I said, the first chapter explains it all (what I've been through recently). The rest of the chapter is just wishful thinking, but it has been really fun writing. The second chapter is nearly complete and I wll post once I'm done or really far into the third chapter. And yes, I will update Here Without You, Miley very very soon as well. For those of you wondering...**

**Anyways, please leave your thoughts. I know a lot of people aren't into Liley anymore, but for those of you who are, I would love to hear your feedback. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, I would like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed and/or added this story to your alerts. I am pleased you enjoyed the first chapter. It was slightly difficult to write due to it being so personal. I made an error in my bottom note though. I said that the first chapter explained eveything and that the rest of the chapter was wishful thinking. That was supposed to say the rest of the STORY was wishful thinking, lol. Just so ya know.**

**Since I got a pretty far into the third chapter already, I decided to upload this one now. Hopefully it's still good! It introduces more characters. Enjoy! :)**

- Two -

_**Summer**_

"Miley, sweetie, you're going to be late for work if you don't get a move on!" Susan Stewart hollered up to her daughter from the bottom of the staircase.

"I'm comin'!" the young brunette called back from her bedroom.

Susan laughed and walked over to her husband, whom was sitting in his favorite recliner. "I'm so glad Miley got that job down at the horse ranch. Nothing more perfect than that, huh?"

"That's for darn sure. Maybe this'll cheer her up some," Robbie voiced.

"Hopefully. Horses always make her smile. I'm sure it'll help her get out of whatever it is that's botherin' her."

Suddenly Miley came bounding down the stairs. She was sporting her favorite bootcut jeans, an old red flannel shirt, her much loved cowboy boots, and her favorite cowboy hat. She knew it was pretty stereotypical, but she loved the outfit. They did tell her to dress for the part. "Okay, I'll be heading out now," she said as she grabbed her car keys from the key hanger.

"Have fun and be careful, Bud," Robbie said with a smile.

"I will," she replied smiling while rolling her eyes. "Love you guys!" After hearing her parents say 'Love you, too', Miley was out the door and excitingly ran over to her truck. It was a classic 1946 Chevy truck that her Grandpa used to own and was passed down to her father who passed it down to her. She had always loved this truck and would cherish it with everything she had. Hopping inside, Miley revved the engine and went on her way to her new job at Jack's Horse Ranch.

Jacks' was a nice little business. He was a man in his mid-50's and loved teaching people how to ride a horse and all the basics behind it. It became very popular after he first started years ago and he now had several employees to help him run the place. Miley applied near the end of the previous semester and got the job with no problems. After all, she had plenty of experience with horses.

Nearly twenty minutes later, she made it to Jack's and parked her cars along with the other employees. A smile made its way across her face as she jumped out of her truck and jogged her way inside. "I'm here!" she announced.

Jack, standing behind the counter, looked up from his computer and smiled. "Hello, Miley. It's great to have you working here now. Seems like only yesterday that you came here for the first time with your daddy when you were five years old. Now how old are you? Nineteen?"

"I'm twenty-one, Jack. You know that," she replied in a joking matter.

"Yeah, whatever," he joked back. "Anyways, we'll have a newcomer showing up today. As in new new. You've been here before, obviously, but this girl's originally from California."

"Whoa, that's a bit of a change in scenery," laughed Miley.

"You're tellin' me!" He laughed. "She seems nice enough, though. Name's Lilly…something. I forget. Oh well… You'll have the chance to meet her a little later on today."

"Excellent. Okay, so, what do you need me to start doin'?" she asked enthusiastically.

"I know the perfect thing… How about you go and get those horses ready for when people start showin' up. Anna's out there right now with Chad."

"Awesome! I won't let you down, Jack." With a nod of her head, Miley exited the main office and headed out to the stables to start work. Anna, Jack's wife, was an amazing woman who Miley always looked up to. Chad, his brother, loved to help out whenever he could. They were a very close family; something Miley could relate to.

"Howdy," she greeted as she walked into the stable.

"Mornin', Miley," Anna greeted in return with a full smile. Her brown eyes glimmered as she turned back to one of her favorite horses in the stable; Huck. "I'm so thrilled that you'll be working here with us."

"Trust me, I'm thrilled too. What should I start doin'?" asked Miley

"Well, there's going to be a little girl comin' here today with her parents and older brother. Why don't you get Cinnamon ready for her? She's a good horse for children."

"I'm on it!" With knowing how to start the day, Miley happily skipped over to Cinnamon's stall. Miley loved this horse, for she rode her when she was younger herself. On her way over, Chad came in with a bucket of feed and waved at her with a smile. Since they had things to do, they kept their greeting simple.

"Hello, Cinnamon," Miley cooed upon entering the stall. "How's it goin', girl?" Cinnamon nodded her head up and down as Miley slowly grazed her hand through her mane. "I'm gonna get you ready for a little girl comin' in today. How does that sound?" A laugh escaped her when Cinnamon responded by nuzzling her arm with her nose. "All right, good girl. Come on'," she said, tugging on her reigns to guide her out into the main part of the stable. Miley could tell this was going to be a good day.

…

Ten o'clock was a busy time in the morning but Miley loved every minute of it. She waited patiently next to Cinnamon as the family that was scheduled for a riding lesson arrived; the little girl looking quite nervous. Miley smiled at this. "Hi, welcome to Jack's! My names Miley and I'll be helping you with riding today."

"Hi, Miley," the woman, who was the mother of the little girl, replied kindly. "Lacy here is pretty nervous about her first horseback ride," she said while placing a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Glancing down, Miley saw the little girl looking wearily at the horse, clutching onto her mothers arm. "There's absolutely nothing to be worried about, Lacy. I rode this horse when I was about your age."

Lacy's head snapped up at this. "Really?" she asked in wonderment.

"Oh, absolutely! She's the most gentle horse you'll ever meet. You can come pet her if you'd like." Miley gestured by patting Cinnamon's neck. "Her name is Cinnamon, by the way."

"Wow…" Lacy, now intrigued, slowly approached Cinnamon. Her little hand carefully reached up and stroked the horse; a big smile growing on her face. "I like her!"

Miley laughed. "That's good! How old are you, Lacy?"

"Six," she answered, looking up at Miley with beaming eyes.

"Perfect age to start riding." Seeing that Cinnamon was already fond of the little girl, Miley turned back to the parents. "Is everybody riding today?"

"Just the kids," the father replied. "That is, if you still want to Andy," he said to his son.

"I don't know…." the ten-year-old boy said with a shrug. "I can just watch Lacy."

"If you insist… Well, have fun, Lacy. We'll be right here watching."

"Okay, daddy!" Nearly jumping up in down in excitement, she turned back to Miley. "When can I start?"

"Right now if you'd wish. I'm ready when you are," Miley replied. She was so thrilled that Lacy was excited about getting started now that she was comfortable with Cinnamon.

"I'm ready now! Is that okay, mommy?" Lacy eagerly asked.

"That's why we're here, sweetie," the woman said with a light chuckle.

"Yay!" Lacy squealed, bouncing up and down once again.

Miley could tell she and this little girl would get along just fine. "I'm so happy you're excited. Here, let me show you how to get onto a horse…"

Inside the main office, Jack was smiling proudly at Miley. He couldn't hear anything, but the training area was in plain sight from his office window and he absolutely loved what he saw. Jack knew darn well that hiring Miley was a perfect idea.

"Hello?"

Jack turned at the sound of a voice and smiled. "Well, hello! You must be Lilly, right?"

The young woman smiled shyly. "Yeah… I'm here to start working."

"Great! No need to be nervous, Miss….err…. Dang flabbit, I forgot your last name."

Lilly let out a light laugh. "Truscott. Lilly Truscott."

"Right! I knew that. Okay, well, Miss Truscott, I will start you off easy here. If you love the horses you can help out in the stables or you could help me answer calls for appointments. I can assure you I already know which one you'd rather do." He smirked.

"As tempting as answering phone calls sound, I think I'll stick with helping out in the stables," Lilly said with humor.

"Everybody always picks the stables." Jack winked to assure Lilly he was joking around. "Since the next appointment won't show up for a couple hours yet, I'll show you around."

"Thank you. I'd like that." Lilly smiled.

Jack walked out from behind his desk. "Follow me, please. I'll give you the full tour."

As she followed Jack, Lilly took the time to get a good look around. The main office was neatly organized and was beautifully decorated in western décor. Photographs of horses hung nicely on the walls and, Lilly noticed, that names were labeled on each picture. She made a mental note to get a better look later.

Outside was even better. There were acres and acres of land displayed out in front of her with gorgeous hills out in the distance. A barn stood out to the left of where the training course was and that's when Lilly saw her…an insanely beautiful brunette teaching a little girl how to ride a horse. Lilly nearly forgot why she was here in the first place.

"Lilly?" Jack asked, confused as to why she hadn't responded to his statement.

Lilly blinked, turning back to him. "Sorry, what? I was…um…admiring the scenery."

Jack laughed. "That's okay, Lilly. I was just telling you that's where folks learn how to ride horses," he said, pointing to where the brunette was. "And over there on the left is the barn where the stables are. This is where you'll be starting out. I'll introduce you to my wife and brother; Anna and Chad. You'll be working with them quite a bit," he said with a smile.

"Can't wait," Lilly responded in kind. Since Jack started towards the barn, Lilly took one more glance over at the brunette; deciding to ask Jack about her a different time.

…

"You're doing wonderfully, Lilly," Anna commented as Lilly brought over more feed for the horses.

"Thank you," she answered happily. "I love stuff like this. Although, I didn't really get a lot of opportunities to do stuff like this in California."

Anna laughed. "No offense, but it doesn't surprise me. I'm assuming you're from a city area?"

"Yeah, I'm from Malibu."

"Woo-ee,' Chad chimed in. "That's a fancy place. What prompted you to move here?"

"It's crazy in Malibu… I want a simple life and there's a really good school here I want to go to eventually."

"Where will you be going in the mean time?" he asked, curious.

"I'll be attending Nashville State Community College in the Fall."

Anna grinned. "That's great! Miley's been going there. Maybe you two could carpool."

Lilly wiped here clove-covered hands on her already dirty jeans and glanced up at Anna. "Who's Miley?"

"Oh, right, you must not have met her yet. She's out training," she answered, pointing out towards the door.

Lilly couldn't hide her smile. "Oh, well that's cool. When would I get to meet her?"

Chad checked his watch. "Break's due in about ten minutes. I'm sure you could talk to her then. Real nice girl. We've known her since she was a little girl."

"Well, I'm anxious to meet her. I'll go get some more feed since I have some time to kill." With that, Lilly hurried out to bring in more feed for the horses. She was more than excited to meet Miley. In fact, she was nervously excited.

Outside, Miley helped Lacy off the horse when time was up for her first lesson. "You did great, Lacy. Did you have fun?" Miley asked with a smile.

"Lots of fun!" Lacy squealed out, nearly bouncing from excitement. "Mommy! Daddy! Did you see me? Did you see me?" she shouted to the other side of the fence where her parents and brother were patiently waiting.

"Sure did, baby girl!" her mother replied, smiling brightly.

Miley followed as Lacy ran over to her family. With a friendly smile, Miley said "Thank you for coming today. You can go inside and see Jack about the details of payment and scheduling another lesson."

"Thank you so much, Miley. You were great with Lacy. We'll be sure to come back," the woman replied.

"Bye, Miley!" Lacy said to the brunette with a wave.

Miley waved and, after seeing them walk into Jack's office, turned to get Cinnamon. It had been a great morning. Lacy was a delight to hang out with and their shared love for horses helped them bond. Miley usually wasn't thrilled about little kids, but certain ones could be really cool.

"Come on, Cinnamon. You deserve a nice long break after being so good this morning," she cooed to one of her favorite horses. Leading the way, Miley headed towards the barn.

"Hey, Miley!" Chad greeted. "I say it's time you take a nice break."

"I would love that," she answered, guiding Cinnamon into her stall. "I'm starving."

Lilly froze while setting down a bucket filled with horse treats at the sound of Miley's voice. It was…musical.

Anna poked her head in Cinnamon's stall. "Miley, once you get Cinnamon settled I'd like you to meet somebody."

Nodding, Miley checked to see that Cinnamon had everything she needed, gave her a kiss on the nose, and then left the stall; shutting the gate door behind her. "Okay, I'm good now."

"Miley," Anna began, placing a hand on Lilly's back to nudge her forward. "This is our new worker, Lilly. She'll be going to your school in the Fall."

Miley had to keep herself from staring at the blonde in front of her. "Awesome." She grinned. "I could show you around campus once school starts up."

"I-I would like that," Lilly stuttered.

"Why don't you two get to know each other during your break? You're due back at one o'clock," Anna informed.

Lilly gulped while Miley smiled. "Perfect!" Miley said. "Are you hungry?"

"Um…sure," the blonde shyly responded.

"I know the perfect place. It's just down the road if you'd like."

Lilly loved that Miley seemed to be bold and friendly, because she sure as heck wasn't feeling like she was. "Sounds great to me." Keeping her eyes on Miley, Lilly followed her to a really cute old truck. "So…we get an hour long lunch break?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.

"We sure do." Miley stopped at the passenger side of her truck and opened the door for Lilly. "Here you go." She smiled.

"Thank you."

Miley watched Lilly climb into her truck with a smirk on her face. Her nerves told her to be cautious but she knew she had to get to know this girl. After all….she was _really _cute.

…

"So you came here to escape California?" Miley chuckled. "Usually people leave _here _to go to California."

"It's a mess over there… Way too busy. Besides, Nashville really appealed to me."

"Nashville is amazing," Miley said happily. "And Crowley Corners is a great place to stay close to Nashville. I've lived here all my life. Wouldn't change it for the world." Seeing their destination, Miley turned into the parking lot of Mick's Diner; a local favorite. "This place has the best burgers in town."

"I'll take your word for it. Everything's so new to me."

"I'll gladly be your chaperone," Miley said, not catching her flirty tone as they hopped out of the vehicle.

Lilly's eyes widened and she silently said 'yes' to herself before following Miley to the diner.

With food ordered and a nice booth to sit at, the girls spent their lunch break talking and getting to know each other; just as Anna suggested. Not that either girl minded. "It's so cool that you love horses, too," Miley commented while dipping a fry into ketchup.

"I always have." Lilly took a moment to glance at Miley while she wasn't looking and quickly looked down at her food once Miley turned her attention back to her.

"Okay, so you're going to Nashville State Community College in the Fall… How old are you? If you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all." Lilly set her Coke down. "I'm twenty-one."

Miley's face lit up. "Me too! When's your birthday?"

"It was March tenth. And you?"

"November twenty-third… Wow, I'm a little older than you." Miley nearly melted when Lilly flashed her a beaming smile. She was so beautiful… "So," Miley said quickly, trying to get her mind off the matter, "where do you live?"

"I'm renting out an apartment in town at Crowley Hills Apartments."

"Those are nice places! Good for you. I wish I could get myself to move out on my own."

"It's not easy," Lilly admitted. "But it does beat living with my parents."

"Mine aren't so bad to live with." Miley checked her watch, letting out a sigh. "We don't have too much time left."

Lilly, not wanting to go back to work, looked at the rest of her food in disappointment. "Dang… I was having fun talking with you…." It was bold, but she wanted to say it. She was having a lot of fun talking with Miley.

Miley's eyes widened at this. Sure, she had great friends, but after everything she's been through in the past she still wasn't used to people saying things like that to her. "Thanks," she answered, not knowing what else to say. "But yeah…as much fun as this is, we should head back." Miley watched as Lilly started taking out her wallet and held up a hand. "I got this one. Don't worry about it."

"You sure?" Lilly asked with uncertainty.

"Absolutely. I'll be right back."

Lilly watched, amazed, as Miley went up to the counter to pay the bill. She surely wasn't expecting this. Soon enough, Miley finished paying and signaled for her to follow. This has been a pretty good day so far and Lilly couldn't wait to see how the rest of it turned out.

….

By the end of the evening, Miley was exhausted. The first trainee was an easy one. The rest of them? Not so much. It wasn't horrible, but Lacy had been so sweet and into the whole thing that the other kids she trained seemed so…bored. It could be that Miley's mind was elsewhere, but she knew enthusiasm when she saw it and most of the people today didn't seem to have much of it.

Miley took out a brush once she had Cinnamon back in her stable and let out a long sigh. She was very tired and it was clear that Cinnamon was too. "You did great today, girl."

At that time, Lilly walked by and paused when she spotted Miley brushing one of the horses. Miley was amazing with the animals and Lilly was very intrigued by her. "Hey," she greeted softly, trying not to startle the brunette.

Miley turned and offered a smile. "Hey…How was your first day?"

"Good…" Lilly crossed her arms. "Um, thanks for lunch earlier."

"Not a problem." Miley finished brushing Cinnamon and set the brush down. "Hope you'll like it here. It's a great place."

"So far so good. This is a very relaxing job…. Hardworking…but relaxing."

"That's for sure." Not knowing what else to do, Miley bent down to the treat bin to pick up one of Cinnamon's favorites. "Are you done for the day?" she asked the blonde.

"Yeah…" she responded, kicking a stray rock. "When are you done?"

"I'm going to stay a little late. I love spending time with these horses. I'll see you tomorrow, though."

Lilly nodded; disappointed. "Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow then."

With a smile, Miley waved. "See ya…"

Once Lilly was out of sight, Miley let out a sigh. "Well, Cinnamon," she began, turning back to the horse, "I need to be careful around her. She's…._really _pretty….and nice."

Cinnamon responded with a jolt of the head, making Miley smile. "You and Bluejeans are amazing listeners. I just wish you guys could give me advice…"

Feeling her anxiety kicking in, Miley took a seat on the ground, up against the stall wall. She bent her knees up, wrapping her arms around them, and watched Cinnamon as she began to eat her oats. She could always tell when her heart was miles ahead from where her brain was. That's how she ended up hurt with Mikayla… Her heart got the best of her. All that Miley knew was that she did want to at least be friends with Lilly; she'd just have to be careful with keeping her feelings in check. The last thing she needed was to jump into something and get her heart broken.

"Just like I should've done with Mikayla…." Miley said quietly to herself before lowering her head in her arms; letting the first of her tears to fall.

…

Nearly twenty minutes later across town, Lilly made it back to her apartment building and needless to say she was tired. Once she unlocked her door and opened it she was instantly greeted by her Yorkie Terrier, Slash. Smiling, Lilly bent down to pet him. "Hey, boy," she greeted. "Have you been enjoying the new place?"

Slash wagged his tale, sticking his tongue out happily, and barked. Lilly couldn't help but to laugh. "Good… Come on, I'll get you a treat." With that, she headed towards the kitchen with Slash right on her heel. Lilly kept the dog treats in a jar on the kitchen counter and quickly retrieved one. "Sit," she commanded. As usual, Slash sat and looked up at her with his big brown eyes. "Good boy!"

While Slash ate his treat, Lilly leaned up against the counter, looking down at him. "I met somebody pretty cool today, boy…. She's really pretty, too. Her name's Miley. I think you'd like her."

Slash looked up at Lilly, satisfied now that he had his treat and then trotted over to the couch where he hopped up and happily took his place on the right side at the very end. Smiling, Lilly took a different direction, heading towards her bathroom. A shower was in high need after working in the barn all day and, while shedding her clothes, Lilly thought of the dark-haired angel she had the pleasure of meeting today: Miley Stewart. It was in the highest of Lilly's hopes that they would eventually become friends, or preferably more than friends.

Lilly sighed at that. "If only…"

* * *

**So? Still good? lol. Thanks for reading and, again, thanks for your kind words on the first chapter and hopefully I'll hear back from all of you! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

******I apologize deeply for taking so long with this. Things kept happening, causing some drama, and yeah... Plus I got hit with writers block again. Just like with my other stories. Don't know why I'm so stuck on them lately. Maybe I miss watching Hannah Montana more than I thought.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

**- **Three -

Several days had passed and working at Jack's was an amazing experience for Miley. She and Lilly continued to talk, although it was still an 'at work only' situation, but for now, Miley liked it that way. Today, though, was the weekend and Miley made plans with Travis and the guys to hang out. Since she started working, she hadn't seen them much. Miley couldn't get mad about it because she was getting paid. Once she got her boots on, Miley happily made her way downstairs.

"Hey Bud," Robbie Ray greeted from his place at the kitchen table. "Have any plans for the day?"

"Yup!" she said cheerfully while taking her place at the table next to her mother. "Going to hang out with the guys."

"Fun." Susan smiled. "What about that girl from work? What's her name again?"

Miley's eyes widened. "Um, Lilly… We don't really talk much outside of work. I've only known her for a week, Mom."

"I know, but maybe she would like to hang out. She is new here after all."

"Maybe some other time." Miley quickly spread butter and jelly onto a piece of toast, trying to ignore the subject. "I need to hurry; they're waiting for me at the diner."

"All right, have fun and call us if you need anything," Robbie Ray commented.

"Will do." Miley got up, gave her parents each a kiss on the cheek before heading out the door. She knew she had to hurry because her boys did not like waiting when it came to food. Aside from that, she just wanted to get away from her parents questions about Lilly. If Miley didn't know any better, she could have sworn that her mother knew something was up. Her dad, though, he seemed to have no idea. Unless he had an amazing poker face or something. Either way, Miley wanted to avoid it as long as she could. She wanted to tell them. She really did. But deep down she felt she just wasn't one-hundred percent ready to do so. As her friends told her; she would know when she was ready. When they supported her on the subject, it reminded her why she loved them so much. With that happy thought, Miley drove off to meet up with the best guys any girl would be lucky enough to be friends with.

…

"You can finally order, boys, I have arrived!" Miley announced as she walked towards their usual table.

"We already did," Travis joked, smirking at her.

"Jerks," she teased back, sitting next to Oliver.

"We wouldn't do that to ya, Miles," Oliver said, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "But I do believe I smell jelly on your breath…"

"I'm starving! I wasn't going to wait to have a small bite of somethin'."

Jake laughed. "But we have to? I see how it is."

"You're all men. Suck it up." She smiled cheekily.

Suddenly Alice, the waitress who had worked there for several years, appeared with a warm smile on her face. "Looks like everybody's here now. What can I get y'all?"

"I will have the French toast with a large glass of milk," Miley requested.

"Same," Oliver said after.

Jake looked at the menu. "I'll have the….short stack and milk."

"I'll have the famous omelet," answered Travis.

"Sounds good," Alice said, jotting everything down. "You're food will be ready shortly. Enjoy."

Smiling, Miley turned back to her friends to find them all looking at her with knowing smiles. She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Tell us about this chick you've been working with," Jake commanded.

"There's nothing to tell," she shot back defensively.

"Suuuuure," Oliver said with a wink.

"There isn't…" Miley crossed her arms, leaning back in her seat.

"All right, guys, leave her alone," Travis said. "She'll tell us about her new crush when she's good and ready."

"Not once did I ever say I have a crush on her."

"You didn't have to. It's in your voice," Travis argued back.

"I've barely seen or talked to you guys since I started working!" Miley was now getting embarrassed and wanted this conversation to end. "Can we please, for the love of God, stop talking about this?"

All three boys held up their hands in surrender. "Sorry," Jake apologized. "We were just excited for you is all."

"Guys, there's nothing to be excited about. She's probably straight anyways," Miley said as she pulled out her cell phone.

"You _always _say that about every girl you have any interest in," Oliver voiced.

"Because most of the time it's true…"

Before more could be said, Alice returned with their food and carefully placed the plates on the table in front of each of them. "Here you are. Is there anything else I can get you?" she asked, finishing up by setting down their drinks.

"Nope, it all looks great," Miley answered with a small smile.

"Good to hear. Enjoy!"

Silence fell over the group as they all began to eat their much needed breakfast. The guys knew they were pushing buttons with Miley, but they were more than happy to think that she may have interest in someone new. Travis, who knew Miley the longest, glanced up at her in concern. He never wanted to make her upset or uncomfortable, but if she could move on from Mikayla then he knew she could be so much happier. With an inward sigh, he focused back on his food and continued eating.

…

Miley stretched out on her beach towel at the edge of the swimming hole she and the guys were currently at. Luckily, they stopped bringing Lilly up and she was finally able to relax. With a blue bikini top on and a pair of shorts Miley was more than comfortable. It was a beautiful day out so she could keep working on her tan.

"Mind if I sit next to ya?" Travis asked out of the blue.

"As long as you don't block the sun, go right ahead," she answered, keeping her eyes closed.

Travis took a seat and watched as Jake and Oliver climbed their way up the rock wall towards the swing rope he and Miley put up years ago. He smiled. "So, since those two are busy at the moment, can we talk?"

"Um…sure?" Miley responded, not moving.

"You know you can talk to me about anything. We've known each other since first grade… How do you really feel about this Lilly chick?"

Miley groaned, sat up, and glared at her best friend. "I barely know her, Travis… She's cute, yes, but other than that I don't know. Seriously."

"Okay, I believe you." He shrugged. "I'm just making sure you're not saying all of this just because of what happened between you and Mikayla."

"Travis, can we please not talk about this?" she asked with a sigh.

"No, I think we should. Personally I think it's great you think she's cute. Maybe you should ask her to hang out with all of us some time. Like you told me, she's from California. She's gotta be pretty lonely…"

Miley nodded, thinking back to the blonde-haired beauty. "Yeah… I will ask her, really… I just don't want to seem desperate and needy. I already feel like I went too far by asking her to join me for lunch when we met."

"Don't worry about it, Miles. After all, we're known for Southern Hospitality. Plus girls are usually nice to each other anyways, I'm sure she assumed you were just being friendly. You always over-analyze things," he said with a slight chuckle.

"Maybe a little bit… I guess it's been long enough. I'll ask her when I go back to work. Honestly…it would be great to see her outside of work." She smiled dreamily.

Travis laughed, nudging her with his shoulder. "See, I told you! It's not the end of the world that you already like somebody else. Mikayla doesn't deserve your misery. Be happy."

"I refuse to get my hopes up on Lilly. I'll leave it as friendly feelings only unless she says otherwise."

"Have it your way. Just try to enjoy spending some time with her, okay?" he asked sincerely.

"I will. She's really nice. I can't wait for you guys to meet her." Thinking about it now, Miley was actually excited at the idea of Lilly being around her and her friends. Plus it'd be great to have another girl in the group. Being the only one had disadvantages quite often, but she loved her boys. Miley wouldn't want them any other way.

"And I can't wait to meet her," Travis added, interrupting her thoughts.

Miley nodded, watching as Jake swung from the rope and splashed into the water below. "Well, seeing as how I won't get you to shut up about Lilly, I guess I'll go for a swim now," she said with a smirk.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Travis excitingly bolted up and extended a hand to help Miley up. Once that was succeeded, he started running. "Race you to the top of the cliff!" he shouted.

"You know I'm faster than you!" Miley shouted back with a laugh. It was times like this she truly treasured… Knowing she had real friends that would always be there for her through thick and thin. That's all she could ask for.

…

Back in town, Lilly moved her couch for the seventh time; trying to find the perfect spot for it. She was exhausted but it was so fulfilling to be able to organize an apartment to her own liking. Besides…she had nothing else to do today. Taking a break, Lilly leaned up against the door frame to her bedroom, looking over the living room. It was then that her stomach growled loudly, telling her she hadn't had anything to eat for a long while now. "Damn," she sighed, rubbing her nagging stomach. Figuring she should eat, Lilly turned into the kitchen and looked through her cabinets; finding nothing. "Well, boy," she said to Slash, "looks like I'm going out for a bite to eat. You be a good boy, okay?"

Slash looked up from his place on Lilly's recliner, letting her know he had heard her. Smiling, Lilly grabbed her purse and keys before making her way out the door. Her original plan was to go to the grocery store but Mick's Diner sounded pretty good at the moment. She had certainly fallen in love with that place. "I'll go to the store afterwards," she said to herself with a smile.

…

Parking her truck, Miley grabbed the towel sitting next to her on the seat and rubbed it through her hair once again. Travis rode with her; both decided it was time to grab something to eat. "Man that was fun," she commented and then set the towel back in its place.

"You sure you don't want to put your tank top back on? Going into a diner with shorts and a bikini top isn't exactly classy," Travis said with amusement.

Miley scrunched up her face. "Since when was Mick's classy?"

Travis laughed. "Guess you've got a point there. C'mon, let's go eat."

"Even though we were _just _here earlier, but whatever," grumbled Miley as she followed Travis into Mick's.

"Well, where else are we goin' to go?" he asked, amused.

Not being able to argue, Miley shrugged. At first Miley wasn't all that excited to be at the diner again up until she looked over at one of the tables to see Lilly. "No way…" she whispered. Miley was quick to jab Travis in his side. "Look!" she whisper-yelled.

"Ow!" He sent her a glare before following where she was pointing. Then he smiled. "Is that her?"

"Y-Yeah… Should we sit by her?"

"Duh!" Travis emphasizes his statement by giving Miley a push in Lilly's general direction.

"Hey, Lilly," Miley greeted somewhat nervously.

Lilly, after taking a bite of her burger, looked up. Seeing Miley so close wearing a bikini top wasn't what she expected and, before she could help herself, Lilly swallowed wrong; resulting in a coughing fit.

Miley's eyes widened. "Oh God, are you okay?" she rushed out, patting the blonde's back.

Once she had her coughing under control, Lilly held up a hand "Y-Yeah. I'm fine," she croaked out.

Seeing that Lilly really was all right, Miley continued on with her original thought. "Mind if we sit with you? This is Travis, by the way," she said, gesturing towards her friend.

Lilly's heart jolted in fear as she looked from Travis to Miley. "Nice to meet you…" she said as she shook his offered hand.

"Same to you," he said with a friendly smile. "I'm going to get some food. Want anything, Miley?"

"Just some fries, thanks."

As Travis walked away, Miley took the opportunity to sit down. Lilly was watching her when she looked up and her heart jumped into her throat. "So, how's your new place comin' along?"

"Pretty good," Lilly answered with a nod. "Having a little trouble putting my bed together, but otherwise it's all good."

Just then, Travis returned after ordering the food; a big smile on his face. "Well, if you need any help with anything, Miley's really good at handy work. Right, Miles?"

Miley, slowly turning her head to Travis, sent him a glare. "Oh, Travis, you're _too _kind. I'm really not all that great."

"Oh, no, really…it's fine. I'm almost done. Plus I don't want anybody to see the place until it's all set up, ya know?"

"Makes sense," Miley said, feeling slightly relieved. "Are you, um…busy the rest of the day? Maybe we could all hang out?"

Lilly smiled as Miley sent her a smile of her own. "I-I would like that."

Travis was beaming. "Great! You two have fun."

Miley whipped her head around to him. "Say what?"

"I, um, have to get some chores done. So…yeah. Can't stay long."

Suddenly, the waitress showed up with their food and then told them to have a great day. Travis took a seat next to Miley, ignoring the glare being sent his way. He knew what he was doing.

Lilly kept looking back and forth between the two. She just had to know… "Question… Are you two, uh….boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Miley choked on a fry while Travis let out a laugh. "Oh Lord, no!" he said through his laughter.

"Geez, you don't have to sound so rude about it," Miley added jokingly.

Lilly blushed. "Sorry…you two just seemed close. I was curious."

"Don't worry," Miley answered. "We get that a lot. Or at least we used to. He's just my best friend."

"Known each other since first grade," Travis informed.

"Wow," Lilly said, feeling relieved. "You two go way back."

"Sure do." After taking the last few bites of his burger, Travis stood and smiled at the girls. "Well, hate to leave so soon, but like I said…gotta get some chores done… See ya around, Lilly."

Miley watched him leave with a glare. '_That sneaky son of a'—_

"Well," Lilly said, interrupting her train of thought. "If you're busy, we don't have to hang out…"

Miley's face fell. Did Lilly not want to hang out with her? "Oh, no, I'm not busy… But if you are, then we don't have to."

"No," Lilly rushed out. "I'm good… Just didn't want you to feel like you had to hang out with me."

"Not a problem." Miley smiled. "Anything you'd like to do?"

Lilly thought of that for a moment. She spent so much time with work and organizing her new apartment. "Well, I haven't really seen much of town or Nashville since I got here."

"We can fix that," Miley replied, still smiling. "I could give you the full tour of town if you'd like. Then Nashville a different day?"

"I would love that!" gushed Lilly. "You really wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all! I know a lot of cool places that most people don't know about."

"Now I'm definitely intrigued."

"Good." Miley couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face, which she tried hiding by continuing to eat. What she missed when she looked down was that Lilly was giving her a radiant smile as well.

…

"Our first stop on your tour of Crowley Corners will be my place," Miley announced as they drove down the road. "Kind of need to change into a shirt."

Lilly bit down on her lower lip. She really didn't think so… Swimsuit tops were just fine with her. "W-Well, I can see how wearing a..a wet swimsuit could be uncomfortable."

Miley smirked. "It's mostly dry now, but I feel weird walking around in it."

Nothing could have stopped Lilly from looking at Miley's chest. "Yeah…weird."

Turning down the familiar road, Miley glanced at Lilly with excited eyes. "You'll get to see my farm. You know what that means, right?"

"What?" Lilly asked, smiling with curiosity.

"We're friends."

Now Lilly's heart swelled happily. "Really?"

"Of course! I don't let just anybody see my horses."

"I feel so honored," Lilly said full-heartedly.

"Good." Miley, shocked by her openness, smiled at the warm feeling that spread throughout her body. _'I really need to be careful…'_

A few minutes later, they finally pulled up in Miley's long driveway and Lilly's mouth fell open at all the open land she saw and the gorgeous house off in the distance. "Holy crap… You live here?"

"Born and raised," Miley said with a satisfied smile.

"It's beautiful…" Lilly's eyes scanned all that they could and she almost didn't notice when they came to a complete stop. "Wow…" she whispered.

Hopping out of the car, Miley ran over to open Lilly's door but found she had already gotten out; still looking around in complete awe. Miley loved the look on her face. "Well, if my parents are inside, then you'll get to meet them…" she said, trying not to sound worried.

Lilly felt her eyes widen at that. "S-Sounds good."

"Follow me," Miley said in amusement. Together, the two walked up the beautiful, long porch and Miley dug out her house key and slickly opened the door. "After you," she offered, gesturing Lilly inside.

"Thank you." Lilly was loving how polite Miley was. Although, there seemed to be something about her that seemed…off. Wasn't anything bad, but it seemed like Miley was shielding something. Maybe she was wrong? She wasn't sure… She hasn't known her very long , but still…

"I'll be right back. Gonna grab a shirt and be right back down. Looks like my parents are out. Feel free to look around if you'd like."

"All right," Lilly replied, watching Miley walk up the staircase. She was…gorgeous. Shaking her head, Lilly wondered into the living room. Instead of looking around, she sat down on the couch to wait. It was odd to her to snoop around someone's house when she barely knew them. From what she could see, though, it was a lovely home, and she was glad to be in it. Glad to be with Miley, plain and simple.

Jogging down the stairs in a black v-neck t-shirt, Miley eyed the area until she spotted Lilly sitting on the couch. "Hey, ready to head outside?' she asked, smiling.

"Absolutely," Lilly answered as she stood up, returning a smile. "Can't wait to see your horses."

"They're real sweethearts." Once again, Miley held the door open for Lilly and then followed. From there, she led the way away from her house towards the large barn behind the house. It wasn't a long walk, but still highly enjoyable. The two made small talk about work until they reached the building. "I'm really glad I can talk to someone other than my parents about my love of horses. Travis likes them all right, but Oliver and Jake don't really care all that much."

"How could anyone not care? They're gorgeous animals."

"Exactly!" With some force, Miley pushed the barn doors open. "My horse's name is Bluejeans. He's the sweetest. I'm sure he'll like you the way the horses at work do."

"I sure hope so," laughed Lilly.

Excitement filled the brunette as she slowly jogged over to Bluejeans' stable. "Hey boy," she greeted happily. "Miss me?"

At the sound of Miley's voice, Bluejeans was quick to turn around and noisily greeted her and bobbed his head. Miley laughed. "Good to know." She then unlatched the stall and slid the bars aside. "Lilly, I'd like you to meet Bluejeans; Bluejeans, Lilly."

Lilly already loved the beautiful white horse and slowly approached him while holding one hand out. When Bluejeans nuzzled her hand with his soft nose her heart melted. "He's beautiful."

Miley was in awe at the very sight. "Thank you…"

Smiling, Lilly took that moment to glance around the barn. "Can't wait to see more when we have time."

"Oh, we'll definitely have to make that happen sometime. There's a lot to see around here…" Miley bit her bottom lip; a nervous habit she's had all her life.

"Perfect." Turning back to Bluejeans with a beaming smile, Lilly leaned in to press a light kiss on his nose. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Bluejeans."

Miley glared at her horse. _'Lucky…_'

"All right, Ms. Stewart, what wonders of Crowley Corners do you have to show me?" Lilly asked enthusiastically.

_'She's so freakin' cute…'_ "Oh there's tons. More than a day can show. But, I'll at least show you the basics."

"Sounds good to me."

"Excellent. Just give me a sec to secure Bluejeans' stable."

Once Miley turned, Lilly's eyes averted downward. She couldn't help but notice, while Miley closed the stable door, how well her jeans fit her. It took everything she had to tear her eyes away.

"Okay, he should be good now. Let's go; there's so much for me to show ya."

As they left the stables, Lilly had this incredible feeling that her new life in Tennessee would actually turn out to be something more than she could ever imagine.

…

The sunset over Crowley Corners was stunning. Lilly couldn't put it into words how much she was falling in love with this little town. This whole day had been absolutely wonderful and spending it with Miley made it all the more special. She had shown her where the best grocery store was, the best place to get a hair cut, clothes, everything… Miley's knowledge of Crowley Corners was more than helpful to the blonde.

By this point, Lilly knew for certain that she definitely had a crush on Miley.

"So," Miley spoke, breaking the silence, "do you agree this is the best place to come and relax?"

"Definitely," Lilly agreed with a smile. The two girls were on a high hill that overlooked the town and, thanks to Miley's suggestion, with two chocolate donuts from the local bakery. "These are _so _good!" she gushed.

"I told you," Miley chuckled as she, too, took a bite of hers.

Lilly looked over at her fondly. "Thanks again for showing me around."

When Miley glanced over and saw the tender look in Lilly's eyes she nearly melted. "Not a problem…" For a small, brief moment, Miley could have sworn she saw _something _in the way Lilly was looking at her. Maybe she…

"Um, I still can't get over this view," Lilly suddenly spoke, trying to change direction of conversation.

Miley sighed. "Yeah…it's pretty darn great."

"Ya know… I thought it'd be really scary coming here from Malibu. I didn't think I'd fit in at all. Didn't know what to expect, really…" Lilly turned to Miley then. "I'm really glad I met you, Miley. I'm not all that scared anymore."

Lilly's heart-felt confession warmed Miley in ways she hasn't felt in years. In fact, she was blown away. "I'm…I'm glad we met, too." They shared a smile. "I'm also glad you like it here so much, and I do hope you continue to love it."

"Me too," Lilly confessed happily.

Comfortable silence fell over them as they looked out at the view before them. Questions ran through Miley's mind, but she didn't know what to ask. She settled on one that seemed to be easy and safe. "Mind if I ask you something?"

Lilly returned her attention to the beauty next to her. "Go ahead."

"What prompted you to move so far from home?"

"Oh…um," Lilly sighed, not sure what to say. She figured she would have to explain this eventually, but Lilly didn't think it'd be so soon. "Well, it's a long story… But, um, things happened with people I was close to, even some of my family, and, well…I just wanted to get away from it all. I researched a lot of schools and for some reason Nashville State Community College really appealed to me. So, I decided to pack up and move to Tennessee. My Mom's the only one I really miss."

"I'm sorry…" Miley said sympathetically. "You don't have to say what happened, but it sounds like it really affected things…"

"It did…" she sadly stated. "My Mom really helped me out with the move at least. She wants me to succeed."

"That's good… What is it that you're going to college for?"

"I'd love to be an accountant in the music industry. That or management of some type. I started off with college back at home a little bit, but I'd really love to finish here… Away from everything."

"Wow, that's impressive. Maybe we'll cross paths in the industry then," Miley said with a smirk.

Lilly smiled back. "What is it that you want to do?"

"Audio engineering and production. Music's my passion, but I'd rather be behind the scenes than in it."

"Nice," Lilly spoke, clearly impressed. "Do you sing?"

"Kind of… Not sure if I'm good or not, though. My Dad says I'm great, but ya know…he's my Dad."

"What about Travis? Hasn't he heard you sing?"

"Maybe a little… I'm just a tad shy. I'd be bummed if I actually sucked and had people hear me."

"We'll have to do something about that sometime," Lilly said confidently.

"We'll see…" Miley winked, letting the blonde know she was teasing.

As she finished off her donut, Lilly glanced at the clock and let out another sigh. "Hate to say this, but I should probably head back home soon. I'm sure my dog is dying to get outside."

"Oh I love dogs. What's his or her name?"

"His name is Slash. He's a sweetie."

"I'll have to meet him one of these days." Miley tossed her napkin into the bag that the donuts came in and then started up her car. "Let's get you back to your car. Wouldn't want your dog to have an accident."

Lilly laughed. "He's really good about that, but thanks."

With a smile still intact, Miley pulled away from their parking spot on the hill and, from the corner of her eye, saw as Lilly took in one more glance of the glorious view. Today ended up being amazing and it was all thanks to the beautiful blonde next to her. Lilly was something special… Miley just hoped that she could gain her trust enough to find out what happened back in California. She would just have to prove herself trustworthy enough and hope for the best.

…

Slash barked happily as Lilly walked through the door and she quickly set her small bag of groceries on the kitchen table so she could properly greet him. "Hi, boy," she cooed. "Let me go get your leash. I bet you're just dying."

His bark was enough to know that she was correct. Still beaming from her great evening, Lilly walked to the entry closet and pulled out the leash she had hanging on a hook. "I spent the evening with Miley today," she informed him while securing the leash. "You have no idea how amazing she is."

In no time at all, Lilly and Slash were outside and he quickly started leading the way on their walk. This neighborhood was peaceful and the air was warm with a nice cool breeze to keep things cooled off. Lilly could not stop thinking about Miley. They both got along so well and she knew she meant every word she said to Miley. It was a blessing meeting her and an even bigger blessing being able to spend time with her outside of work. Miley was kind, funny, and mysterious all at once and Lilly wanted to dig deeper. In fact, she had a feeling that she would do just that.

…

When Miley got home, her father was napping on the couch and her mother in the kitchen baking. This gave her the freedom to sneak up to her bedroom so she could come down from her high just enough that they wouldn't suspect anything when they talked to her later. Miley slung her bag onto her bed and whipped her phone out of her pocket. She scrolled down her texts until she found Travis.

**Miley**: _'Hey, I owe you big time.'_

**Travis**: _'Lol, I take it you had a good time?'_

Miley laughed to herself. He had no idea…

**Miley**: _'It was amazing. She's so much fun. Thanks again for tricking me the way you did. Best day I've had in a long time.'_

**Travis**: _'That's what I was hoping for. Glad I could help.'_

**Miley**: _'Me too… I'll give you more details later.'_

**Travis**: _'Good! Have a good night, Miley.'_

Her smile grew wider and she sent a final good night message before placing her phone back into her pocket. Being this happy usually worried her, but, even though it didn't turn out the way she wanted, her relationship with Mikayla taught her that chances were worth taking. Lilly was different though… She seemed real; honest. Miley wanted Lilly to trust her so she could learn everything she could about the blonde.

What happened that caused Lilly to move here? It seemed to have wounded Lilly in some way, but even then Miley had to be grateful that she was here. If anything, she knew she and Lilly could end up being really close friends. That could be just what both of them needed.

Something real that could heal old scars…

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the Miley/Lilly time! There will be plenty more coming your way. Thanks for reading (if you're still reading) and hope to hear from all of you :)**

**R&R 3 I'll try to update things soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello strangers. Well, I guess I would be the stranger here. It's been a while, huh? I apologize deeply for taking so long on updating my stories. A lot has happened... Life. But, here is the next chapter to this story and I hope I won't disappoint. Hope I didn't lose any readers. Enjoy.**

- Four -

"You didn't get her phone number?" Travis asked exasperated; looking up at Miley from his place on her bedroom floor.

Miley gave an innocent smile. "I was having too much fun… It didn't cross my mind for some reason. It's not like it'll be hard to get."

"Then do it," he shot back humorously.

"I will… Besides, it might've been weird to ask for it after only a day of actually hanging out."

"Miley, Miley, Miley… You always come up with excuses. It's okay to be nervous, but you have no reason to be. She obviously thinks you're cool."

"I hope so… Yesterday was so much fun. Lilly's really cool. I hope the other guys like her, too. It'd be nice to have all my friends get along."

Travis thought about that for a minute. "What if they _like _her the way you do?"

Miley froze and then slowly sat up on her bed. "Crap… I never thought about that… What if she likes one of them that way too?" she panicked.

"I knew you liked her," he stated.

"Shut up," she groaned. "This is serious… Lilly probably _is_ straight and, no offense to Oliver, she'll probably think Jake is hot. Maybe even you!"

"You know I would never do anything like that to you, Miley," he said with nothing but seriousness.

She let out a slow breath. "I know… This is why I try not to like people so much. I'm trying really hard, Travis…"

Travis sighed. "Yes, I know you are. I understand being cautious, but damn, Miley… Don't try too hard or you might end up missing something great. What you need to start off with is seeing how she feels on the whole 'people being gay' thing and go from there. It's a good start."

Miley blinked. "And what if she says she hates it? Then what? Hide part of my life from her? Come clean and have her hate me?"

Travis narrowed his eyes at her. "You are so complicated…"

"No, I'm realistic," she reasoned.

"Sometimes you're too realistic. But think about this… What if she says it doesn't bother her and that she supports anyone who is? That wouldn't be the end of the world, would it? The thing is you're never going to find out unless you ask her. You always think the worst will happen, but you need to realize that good can happen too when you take chances."

Miley's eyes fell to the floor. "I did that once. Remember Mikayla? See how that turned out?"

"Well that's because Mikayla's a bitch. _She_ didn't deserve _you_, Miley. That's another thing you need to realize."

A dramatic sigh escaped as Miley fell backwards onto her bed. She felt bad that she continuously had these conversations with Travis. All it did was go in circles. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Opening her eyes, Miley saw Travis had stood fully now, looking at her with concerned eyes. "….For always talking about my relationship issues…."

"Hey, it's all right," he reassured. "Venting is a good thing. I think if you didn't, you'd explode."

"That doesn't mean I can't feel bad," she said with a sigh.

Travis sent a sympathetic look towards his friend. "All right, Miles, how about we go out and do something before you get yourself depressed, okay?"

"There's nothing to do…"

"Sure there is!" he said with enthusiasm. "Let's go riding. That always brightens you up."

A smile grew on her face as she thought of Bluejeans. "This is true…"

"A-ha!" He grinned. "I got you smiling."

As she stood up, Miley rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever. Let's just go before I hurt you."

Travis watched Miley walk out of her room with a mock pout of his face before following her out. "It's always the good guys that get hurt…"

…

Lilly parked in the parking lot of the local grocery store. She had been running low on food for a while but was just too lazy to actually go out and shop. Therefore, her time spent eating was mostly at the diner, but Slash was low on dog food. It was definitely time to shop. After making sure her car was locked, Lilly made her way towards the entrance of the store with a smile on her face. Everything she did here was a new adventure and, as dorky as she felt about it, she enjoyed it.

Inside the store, Oliver stared blankly at a magazine while he stood behind the check out line. He has worked here for two years and nothing ever became interesting. Yawning, he finally looked up and couldn't help but widen his eyes at the girl that just walked in. "Whoa…" he whispered to himself.

Lilly looked around, confused, for the pet supplies. Hopefully they had some… Turning her attention to the right, she saw a check out clerk and smiled. "Hi," she said, walking over to him. "Do you guys have pet food here? I'm kinda new and don't really know where things are yet."

"Um, y-yeah," Oliver stammered. "It's, uh, down there… Aisle eight."

Lilly laughed inwardly to herself at his stuttering. "Thank you."

"No problem." He grinned. "Let me know if there's anything else I can help you find."

"Absolutely. Thanks again." With that, Lilly walked off to get her needed items.

Oliver, mouth hanging open, watched as she walked off with a shopping basket in hand. Her jeans fit her so well…

Grinning to himself, Oliver went back to his magazine while he waited for her return. He was very glad he was the only lane open…

Lilly cringed as she neared the meat section. The cashiers obvious interest in helping her made her feel uneasy. She decided to push it out of her mind for now and focus on getting food. Luckily she didn't need a ton of food, just to get by until her next paycheck, which would be this coming week. Being on her own was tough, but she felt so free and…happy. That was something she hadn't felt for a long time.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself before turning down the freezer aisle.

…

Oliver was filled with excitement when the cute blonde returned to the front of the store nearly a half hour later. Only a few other people have come in since then, so it wasn't busy, and he was still the only available cashier. "Find everything okay?" he asked in his usual professional kindness.

"Yes, thank you," Lilly said as she unloaded her items onto the counter.

"Glad to hear it." He scanned items and then offered another smile. "New around here?" he asked.

Lilly smiled a little. "Yeah. Guess it's easy to tell around here, huh?"

"A little. I've worked here for a while now. It's easy to spot new comers."

"Plus I still kind of dress like I'm in California," she admitted with a laugh.

"Hey, no worries." Oliver paused to check the computer screen. "All right, Miss, your total is sixty-eight fifty."

Lilly handed him her card and soon started gathering her items into grocery bags. Oliver, as his name tag presented, was soon next to her helping load up the second bag. "Thank you," she commented warmly.

"Not a problem. Hope you have a nice day," he said with a broad smile.

"You too." And with that, Lilly was off to head back to her apartment.

Oliver's grin never left his face. "Wow…" he whispered to himself.

…

Several hours had passed and Miley sat with Travis on the porch of her house. She had a wonderful time riding Bluejeans, as usual, and it certainly did lighten her mood. After taking a sip of her lemonade, she glanced over at her friend to notice him looking at his phone. "What's up?" she asked.

"Oh, it's Oliver. He said he's off work now and wants to tell us something. Want to go meet up with him? I could eat…"

"Sounds good to me. Just have to get my purse." With that, she quickly ran inside, up the stairs, and into her bedroom to retrieve her purse. Then she was just as quick to make her way back. "Let's go! The more I think about food, the hungrier I get."

"Good!" Travis shot back with a laugh. "All that riding wore me out and gained me an appetite."

Together, they hopped into Travis' car and he drove off towards their usual hangout: the diner. Miley opened the window to let the nice summer breeze flow through. "I'm actually more anxious to hear what Oliver's so excited about," she commented.

"No kidding. Even through a text I could tell he was giddy."

Miley laughed at that. "He is too easy to read sometimes." Still smiling, Miley then laid her head back against the seat, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the wind hitting her face. All too soon, though, they were at the diner where Oliver was already waiting patiently for them by the door. "That was quick," she commented.

"He's insistent, that's for sure." Travis hopped out of his car and waved at Oliver. "You sure got here quick." He smirked.

"I know. The grocery store isn't that far from here." Looking past Travis, Oliver smiled at Miley. "Hey, Miles."

She greeted him with a hug before stepping back. "Apparently you have something to gush about?"

"I do! Let's go in and eat. Spending all day watching people buy food sure gets me hungry," he said with a hint of annoyance.

"And you're always hungry anyways," joked Travis.

"Haha, very funny." Seeing their booth, Oliver smiled and quickly went for it, even though the place was nearly empty.

Travis and Miley followed with ease and took a seat across from Oliver. A waitress was quick to serve and then, after a few short minutes, the three friends were left to chat while their food cooked. "Okay," Travis began, "what's your excitement all about?"

"Right!" Oliver said, eyes beaming. "Okay, so at work today it was slow and horribly boring. Nothing new there. But then, out of the blue, this gorgeous girl comes in that I've never seen before."

Miley's face fell.

"Seriously guys…wow! She was really friendly, blonde hair, blue eyes, and get this… She's originally from California! She was adorable. I just wish I had gotten her name."

Travis, wide-eyed, cautiously looked over at Miley. He knew who Oliver was talking about and by the look on Miley's face, she knew as well. "Her name's Lilly…" Travis answered for her.

"Lilly? Really? How'd you…." Oliver stopped mid-sentence when he realized why Miley was looking at him so oddly. "Oh… You mean, that's…"

"Yeah…" Miley answered coolly.

"Shit, Miles, I….I didn't know…"

"It's fine…" She sighed; running a hand through her wavy hair. "You'd probably have a better shot with her than I would anyways."

Now Oliver felt terrible for ever bringing it up. "Miley, stop… I'm sorry. I didn't know she was the same girl at your work. I've never seen her face before. If it makes you feel any better, you have really good taste in women." He offered a charming smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

Miley laughed. "Oh yeah, my taste is real good. Straight girls and crazy cheaters."

Travis lightly elbowed her. "Shut it, Miles. You may be surprised with Lilly."

"This is true," Oliver added. "I swear, I won't get in the way of things."

Oliver's sincere statement melted Miley's heart. He really was a sweet guy. "I'm not one to want to get my hopes up…but she is really cool. But, if she is straight, I'll see if I can hook you up."

His eyes narrowed in confusion. "Bros before hoes, Miles. If you have feelings for her, I don't want to"-

"Don't worry about it, Ollie. I've had crushes on straight girls before and they pass eventually. Well, aside from Chelsea…"

"That's completely different, though," Travis voiced.

"Exactly." Miley smiled sadly at the thought of her former best friend. "Anyways… If Lilly is straight, you can ask her out, okay?" she said, keeping her eyes locked with Oliver's.

"We'll see," was his only response.

…

Lilly sat back on her couch, watching 'American Pickers', as her dog took comfort on her lap. She had barely given the television program any attention, for her mind was elsewhere. The attention she got from the guy at the grocery store irked her in a way. He didn't creep her out or anything, but, in a some way, she was hoping to not get attention from guys. She laughed to herself. "Oh, Slash…you have no idea how easy you have it being a dog."

Slash's ears perked up at the sound of Lilly's voice; making her laugh lightly.

"Maybe I should call Mom… I'm sure she misses the sound of your bark."

Feeling that hearing her mother's voice is what she needed right now, Lilly reached across to the coffee table to grab her phone. In no time at all, the phone was ringing, and she hoped more than anything that her mother wasn't busy with something else.

"Hey, sweetheart!" came Heather Truscott's voice. "Oh honey, I miss you so much. How's Crowly Corners treating you?"

Lilly's heart warmed instantly. "Hello to you, too, Mom. Things are going pretty good."

"And the apartment?"

"It's awesome. I almost have everything in place and then I can send you pictures."

"Good! I'm anxious for those. More importantly, my dear, how's work?"

A blush crept across Lilly's face, even though her mom couldn't see her. "It's really good… Very friendly people…"

There was a short silence before a delighted gasp escaped Heather. "Don't tell me you already found someone of interest, Lilly," she said lightly.

Lilly groaned. "How do you do that?" she laughed.

"I'm your mother. Even over the phone I can sense your tells. So…?"

"Well… Um…" She hesitated.

"Lilly…" Heather said gently. "You know you can talk to me about this. I told you this doesn't bother me at all. Don't let your father get to you."

Tears pooled at Lilly's eyes and she took a moment to brace herself. She didn't call her Mom to cry. She called to talk about her situation. "Sorry," she croaked.

"Honey, it's all right." Heather's voice was soft; caring. "There's nothing you can't tell me."

"I know…" Lilly took in a deep breath. "There is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"I'd love to hear it."

A smile appeared on the young blonde's face, helping ease the tears away. "Well, there's this girl at work, her name's Miley, and she's a lot of fun. She's lived here her whole life, so she ended up showing me around."

"That was very nice of her! I find that a great advantage."

"It was. She showed me pretty much everything import place around here. Some time she's going to bring me over to Nashville.

"Lucky! I'm going to find the time to come visit you soon, Lilly. I want to see everything….and perhaps meet Miley?"

Lilly smirked. "I can hear the smile in your voice, mom. I'm sure you'd be able to meet her. We are friends at least. I just…I don't know how to find out if she's okay with…well, you know…"

"Guess you won't know until you ask," came Heather's response. "So, what is she like?"

Lilly couldn't help the grin that split her face even if she tried. "She has long, wavy brown hair, hazel eyes, and she's pretty tall. Not too tall, but I am short. Um…she absolutely loves horses, obviously, and she's just really nice. I can't wait to get to know her better."

"You're so smitten," Heather laughed.

"Mom…nobody says 'smitten' anymore," Lilly said with an eye roll.

"I'm old, I have an excuse. Also…I sense hesitation from all of this. What's your worry?"

"That she'll think I'm disgusting and I'm right back where I started."

Heather's heart broke. "Lilly… I guess the best thing to do is spend some time getting to know each other, gain the trust of friendship, and, if she's as nice as she sounds, she'll accept you no matter what. If not then you hold your head high and keep following your dreams."

"It's hard to do that if people treat me differently…"

"I'll always be here, Lilly. No questions asked."

"Thank you, Mom…" she nearly whispered.

"I love you, Lilly. I couldn't have asked for a better daughter. I will try very hard to come visit soon, okay?"

Now a tear, though happy, slid from Lilly's eyes. "I'd love that."

"Me too, sweetheart."

"Hey, um…I have another thing to discuss," she quickly added, not wanting the conversation to end just yet. "I went to the grocery store today and the check out guy was, well, rather friendly towards me. How do I avoid further flirting from him?"

Heather laughed. "Simple. Don't act interested at all."

"I suppose. I just don't want to come off as a bitch. Pardon my language."

"Yeah, like I've never heard you say that before. Just don't worry about it. If it comes down to it, just say you're not into dating right now."

"At least it sounds nicer than 'ew, gross.'"

"It certainly does!" the older blonde laughed. "Oh, Lilly, I sure am glad you called."

"Same. But I think I'm going to get going and make some supper. Plus Slash is staring at me by his dish."

"Ah, sounds like you're being summoned. I will let you go then, and hopefully talk to you again soon."

"Of course." Lilly smiled.

"Great! Have a good night, sweetie."

"Goodnight, Mom…" Reluctantly, she hung up, sighed, and then stood to feed the dog and then herself. Talking about Miley to someone lifted a huge weight off of her shoulders and she was so grateful to have her mother to turn to. Plus, her mom was right… Building a friendship first was a good idea. No…a great idea. If Lilly could gain an amazing friend, then she'd be happy. If it lead to something else, well…she'd be ecstatic.

Miley was so nice and carefree. Although, Lilly still couldn't help but feel something had clouded over Miley's life. If Miley ended up being comfortable enough to tell her life story, then Lilly felt no reason to not return the favor. Time would have to tell.

* * *

**Sorry if this was a short chapter, but more will happen soon. And I will try try try to get things updated more often. School is going to start back up and therefore I'll be around my ex all the time...yippie... (the one that sparked this story btw). Anyways, hope you liked it, hope to hear from you all. Thanks for reading!**


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